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Recipes Lost And Found: Tomato Matters

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By JEFF HOUCK

jhouck@tampatrib.com

Published: January 11, 2009

Last week, we ran a request by Mary Stallard of Tampa for a canned tomato jam she and her mother were craving. The jam, which Stallard's grandmother made years ago, includes tomato, sugar and a slice of lemon on top.

Sandee Prickett of Zephyrhills found recipes for Tomato Preserves and Green Tomato Jam in "The American Woman Cookbook," which was first published by Culinary Arts Press in 1939.

"This book was my mom's," Prickett says. "In the '40s, every woman was given one, as it had EVERYTHING you needed to know to be a successful housewife (how to set the table, fold the napkins, how many courses, how to wash clothes and remove stains, etc.)."

Prickett notes that neither recipe says to put lemon slice on top of jar before sealing, "but I bet that was someone's idea and not a part of the recipe."

Katie Easom of Somerset, Ky., wrote to say a friend from Canada gave her a jar of tomato butter last summer. She requested the recipe and forwarded it to me.

"It sounds as if it may be the same as the tomato jam recipe requested by Mary Stallard. This is delicious on toast."

LOOKING FOR RED VELVET

Sandra Wright Pierce e-mailed that her "very favorite cake" is red velvet.

"The best ever was served at Branch Ranch, which is now closed," Pierce wrote. She once inquired about the cake and the folks at the restaurant informed her that a lady baked the cake for them and delivered it. "Can you dig up the info on who that lady is or the recipe?" Pierce asks.

ON FRUITCAKE STORAGE

Ad Laforet wrote to say that she and her husband love fruitcake.

"We very much enjoyed baking Mrs. Harvey's 5-pounder," she says. "What we missed in the article were directions on how to store the cake, and for how long before eating it."

That's because they weren't included. Sorry about that, Ad.

"Years ago we wrapped the cake in cheesecloth that had been soaked in wine (?) brandy (?) and then aluminum foil," she says. "We placed the cake in a covered pan in a cool place and began to eat it 3 to 4 months later.

"Baking the cake depended on when the candied fruit arrived in the grocery store," she says. "Baking it in September gave the cake time to age and allowed the flavors to peak in time for Christmas. One year, we kept 1 pound until May and brought it out to celebrate a baptism."

Your instincts are right, Ad.

Fruitcakes improve with flavor as they age. Those made without alcohol can be stored short-term in a cool place or in the refrigerator, or frozen long-term. Cakes with liquor can be kept several months in a cool place without refrigeration.

For long storage, wrap the cake in towels soaked with brandy or wine and then wrap in either plastic wrap or aluminum foil. (I'd opt for plastic wrap to retain as much moisture as possible.)

And if you want to store one to eat, say, on your 25th anniversary, bury the liquor-soaked cake in powdered sugar and place in a tightly covered tin in a cool place. You'll want to occasionally re-wrap it with another liquor-soaked cloth.

ON A RIB QUEST

Thomas Johnson of Tampa has been searching for the perfect short ribs recipe ever since he and his wife ate at a restaurant named Buddakan in Atlantic City.

The serving had minimal fat, a silky smooth, heavy brown gravy, and the meat was soft and tender.

"A couple of bones were left, I think just to convince you that you were really eating short ribs," Johnson wrote. "I've experimented with several recipes but have not equaled Buddakan's. My closest success is a slow-cook with stock and some horseradish. I'm close, but, as they say 'no cigar' yet. Any suggestions?"

TOMATO PRESERVES

2 pounds tomatoes, preferably yellow plum tomatoes

3 cups sugar

1 lemon

Cover tomatoes with boiling water, cover closely and let stand for 2 minutes. Drain and peel, taking care not to break them.

Place in layers with sugar in bowl or enamel kettle and let stand overnight. Then drain and cook juice to 228 degrees or until it spins a thread. Add thinly sliced lemon and tomatoes. Cook until clear and thick. Seal in clean hot jars. Makes 2 pints.

GREEN TOMATO JAM

8 pounds green tomatoes

1 tablespoon preserved ginger

6 cups sugar

6 lemons

Wash the tomatoes, remove any dark spots about the stems, and weigh them. Cover them with boiling water and let them sit for 5 minutes.

Drain and slice them into a preserving kettle, placing a layer of tomatoes, then a layer of sliced lemon, then the sugar with the ginger sprinkled over it. Let the mixture stand overnight. Drain and boil the syrup for 10 minutes.

Skim, add tomatoes and cook rapidly until they are clear. Pour into clean, hot jars and seal.

TOMATO BUTTER

10 pounds ripe tomatoes (cut into fourths)

3 medium onions, chopped

1 cup cider vinegar

For the syrup:

2 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 1/2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon allspice

1 cup of reserved liquid

Cover tomatoes and onions with vinegar and let stand overnight. The next day, strain the batch and keep 1 cup of reserved liquid.

Combine tomatoes, onions, and syrup, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until thickened. Stir frequently to prevent burning.

When it reaches your desired thickness, ladle the mixture into jars and process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Makes about 8 to 10 pints.

Looking for a recipe? Write to Jeff Houck, The Tampa Tribune, P.O. Box 191, Tampa FL 33601 or e-mail jhouck@tampatrib.com. Keyword: Recipes, for more recipes and to check out our archive.

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